1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system capable of displaying plural screens on a display and a display method for the display system, which are used for displaying pictures on a navigation device or the like device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a display system provided in a vehicle, one of a map screen of a navigation device, an operation screen of an audio device, or an image screen (TV screen) of a TV broadcast is selected and displayed on a display.
Accompanying the widespread use of display devices having wide screens in recent years, attempts have been made to widen the screen of a display that is provided in a vehicle. As information processing capabilities have improved, further, it is becoming possible to display plural screens on a widened display.
Any of various display methods can be applied. For example, the screen may be divided into left and right divisional screen portions, with one of the portions being a highly precise map screen showing the present position of the vehicle which has been outputted from a navigation device, and the other portion being a map screen of a wider geographical region. Or, a map screen showing the current position of the vehicle can be displayed in one of the divisional screen portions, whereas a map screen showing the destination may be displayed in the other divisional screen portion. Further, it is possible to display a map screen for navigation on one of the divisional screens and display a TV screen on the other screen.
The display system has been so designed that an operation menu is displayed on the screen, an item displayed on the screen is selected by using a joy stick or by a remote controller using a touch operation pad, or the displayed item is selected when the display is touched by using a touch operation panel for the display.
However, to operate either one screen in a state where, for example, two screens are displayed on the display, it is necessary to select the screen, to change over the screen so that the selected screen is displayed on the entire display, and to display an operation menu corresponding to the screen. Further, when any one of plural map screens is to be operated in a state where plural map screens are being displayed, after the display screen has been changed over from the plural screens to the single screen which is to be generated, a main menu must be displayed for executing the navigation operation. Then, the items corresponding to the operation must be successively selected from the menu.
Thus, displaying of plural screens on the display results in an increase in the number of operations for selecting the screen that is to be operated.
On the other hand, a navigation device has been furnished with a variety of functions as technologies relating to information and information processing have advanced. Therefore, if a menu of all functions is displayed at one time, the display (e.g., the displayed words, characters, etc.) is too small despite the fact that the display screen has been widened, and the operability is poor. When the operation menu is divided into plural menus to enlarge the display of the menu, an operation is necessary for switching the operation menu.
The display system provided at the vehicle is in many cases operated by a driver. Therefore, the display system must be one that can be operated simply without complex operation.
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a display system which is easy to operate when plural screens are displayed on a display or when many functions are provided, and a display method for the display system. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle-mounted display system comprising an output device which outputs data, a display for displaying, on an entire surface of a display portion of the display, a screen based on the data output from the output device, the display portion being divided into plural regions which display screens based on different data output from the output device, a screen selecting device for selecting any one of the plural screens displayed on the display, and a display control device for displaying the screen selected by the screen selecting device on the entire surface of the display portion of the display, and for displaying, on the display portion, an operation menu corresponding to the selected screen.
According to the first aspect, one screen is selected by the screen selecting device while plural screens are being displayed on the display portion. An operation menu corresponding to the screen is displayed on the display portion while the screen is displayed on the entire area of the display portion.
That is, when plural screens are being displayed, by simply selecting a screen, operation for that screen becomes possible. The troublesome operation of displaying the operation menu after the screen is changed over is thereby eliminated.
In a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect, there is further provided a detecting device for detecting a traveling state of the vehicle, wherein when a screen is selected from the plural screens by the screen selecting device, the display device displays, on the display portion and together with the selected screen, an operation menu containing an operation item corresponding to the traveling state of the vehicle.
According to the second aspect, by selecting, by the display selecting device, display of an operation menu, the operation menu corresponding to the screen displayed on the display is displayed. Here, the detecting device detects the traveling state of the vehicle, e.g., whether the vehicle is traveling or is stopped, and an operation item set in accordance with the traveling state of the vehicle is displayed.
For example, when there are displayed items of operations that are not necessary or are prohibited during traveling, there is the possibility that such an operation item may be erroneously selected. To carry out a desired operation after an operation item is erroneously selected, it is necessary to return to the operation menu and then again select an operation item, which is troublesome.
In contrast, if only those operation items that can be operated are displayed, selection of operation items that cannot be operated is prevented.
Further, since fewer operation items are displayed on the display, it does not become difficult to read the display, as is the case when many items are displayed. Further, the operation menu need not be divided into plural segments, thereby eliminating cumbersome operations such as switching the display items in order to execute a desired operation.
According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle-mounted display system comprising an output device which outputs data, a display for displaying, on a display portion of the display, a screen based on the data outputted from the output device, a detecting device for detecting a traveling state of the vehicle, a display selecting device for selecting a suitable operation menu such that an operation menu containing at least one operation item corresponding to the screen displayed on the display is displayed, and a display control device for displaying, as an item of the operation menu, at least one predetermined operation item corresponding to the traveling state of the vehicle detected by the detecting device.
According to a fourth aspect, the output device is at least one of a navigation device, a VICS (vehicle information and communication system) device and an audio device. The navigation device outputs a travel route from the position of the vehicle to a destination. When the display device displays a map screen indicating the position of the vehicle and a map screen indicating the destination, the operation menu for the map screen indicating the position of the vehicle is different from the operation menu for the map screen indicating the destination.
According to the fourth aspect, the operation menu for the map screen indicating the present position is different from the operation menu for setting the destination.
For example, for the map screen indicating the present position, it is necessary to set the destination and to retrieve the guide route to the destination. On the other hand, in the map screen indicating the destination, the destination has been set already. Therefore, resetting of the destination, re-retrieving of a guide route and the like become necessary operation items. These operation items are set as operation items of the operation menu for the map screen indicating the destination.
Thus, by displaying only operation items suitable for the screen that is displayed, it is possible to easily and properly operate the screen that is displayed.
Thus, the present invention makes it possible to easily change over the screen displayed on the display and to easily display the operation menu for the screen that is displayed. Further, only operation items appropriate for the displayed screen are displayed, which reduces the burden of operation. Thus, for example, the need for confirming the display many times, which is bothersome, can be eliminated.
As the display method for the display system exhibits the same effects as those described above, description of the display method is omitted.